Car crashes are still the leading cause of teen death in the United States, which is why the issue is getting some special attention by Safe Kids Missoula this week. Safe kids Missoula Co-coordinator Kira Huck explains.

"This week, October 21-27, is National Teen Driver Safety Week," Huck said. 'We are taking this opportunity to talk to teens and their parents about safe driving practices that can help protect teens from motor vehicle accidents."

Safe Kids Missoula is stressing seven points to keep teens safe. They include safety precautions like Buckle Up, Don’t text and Drive, and Follow the Speed Limit, but there are some other recommendations many parents may not have considered.

"The seven points that we are working to promote with teens and their parents is to first talk to your teens about how to be safe while they are driving, reminding them to follow traffic signals and laws," Huck said. "We also recommend that parents and teens make a formal driving agreement. A 2016 study showed that parents and teens that do have an agreement in place report fewer risky driving behaviors, traffic violations and crashes."

The nationwide statistics on teen crashes are startling: According to the Centers For Disease Control in 2016 over 2,400 teens in the United States ages 16–19 were killed and over 290,000 were treated in emergency departments for injuries suffered in motor vehicle crashes.

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